Reno Ford dealer pleads guilty in drug scheme

A former manager of the Jones-West Ford dealership in Reno admitted Friday that he obtained prescriptions for painkillers from a doctor and distributed them to others as part of a large-scale prescription drug ring.

Richie West, 40, pleaded guilty in federal court in Reno to one count of prescription drug conspiracy and one count of possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.

He was one of nine defendants nabbed last year in a sweeping indictment that targeted West and Reno physician Robert Rand as the ringleaders of the scheme, which lasted from 2012 to 2016.

In pleading guilty, West admitted to receiving oxycodone prescriptions from Rand and distributing at least 500 oxcodone pills to others.

The other co-defendants were employees or former employees of the car dealership, and West also would coordinate distribution via text message with them. He also referred a number of them to Rand so they too could obtain phony prescriptions.

The arrests were part of a federal government crackdown on prescription drug abuse throughout Nevada. Rand is one of several doctors who was charged as a result of prosecutors’ efforts.

West’s guilty plea came one day after the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners officially filed a complaint against Rand, alleging 74 violations of the state’s Medical Practice Act. They include malpractice and violating opioid prescribing standards.

The accusation was the result of an investigation by medical board members and staff as well as independent investigators centering on 18 patient cases. Rand’s medical license is currently active, though he is behind bars.

West is scheduled to be sentenced May 8. The other defendants in the case are scheduled to stand trial in April.

Review-Journal reporter Pashtana Usufzy contributed to this story. Contact Jenny Wilson at jenwilson@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710. Follow @jennydwilson on Twitter.